Aloo Matar/Potatoes Peas Gravy

Aloo Matar

Aloo Matar

When I was Pregnant, Every dinner included potato in some form or another.  Steamed potato, baked potato, mashed potato; with gravy or without, you name it and we ate it.   We had potato every night, in fact, my huby still eats potato with steamed veggies and some kind of meat, every night of the week.  So, to no great surprise, I got sick and tired of eating the same kind of potato.  I put the potato on the back burner, in search of new and exciting flavors.


Potatoes are a very versatile ingredient in Indian cooking.  You can find potato recipes all over India, from the tips of the Himalayas to the coasts of Kerala.  I think the potato must be the vegetable people turn to the most when they need something quick, filling and nourishing.   To give you an idea of just how many Indian recipes there are for potatoes, here is a small sampling of the versatility of the humble potato
Potatoes with cauliflower (aloo gobi)
Potatoes mashed together with mixed vegetables and served with bread (pav bhaji)
Pan fried potato and vegetable cutlets
spicy mashed potatoes enveloped in dough and deep fried (samosas…check out our baked version of samosas)
Breads stuffed with spicy potatoes (aloo parathas)
Vegetable dumplings made with potatoes and cheese and covered in a creamy curry sauce (malai kofta)

….the list is almost endless.




A popular restaurant dish which comes from Punjab.This technique the quickest way to make the basic masala required in most Indian recipe Serves: 6
Time: 1 hour
Spice Level: low (if you want it spicy feel free to add more chilies or a spoonful of red chili powder)

		INGREDIENTS
	2		Onions (13 oz.)
	1		Head of garlic
	1		Inch of ginger, peeled
	4		Green chilies (optional)
	4		Tablespoons of oil
	1		Pound of tomatoes (or 3 tomatoes)
	1		Teaspoon turmeric
	1		Tablespoon garam masala
	2		Teaspoons salt
	3		Cups water
	1		Pounds of potatoes (or 3 potatoes)
	1		Pounds of peas (1 lbs 15 oz)

MAKE THE TARKA PASTE

Blend the onions, garlic, ginger and chilies.  Add as little water as needed in order to blend because you’ll be cooking the mixture until the water evaporates (the more you add the longer the cooking will take).

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat, then add the blended tarka.  Let it cook while you blend the tomatoes.

Add the blended tomatoes

Add the  salt,

the garam masala

and the turmeric.

Give it a stir.

Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes.  You’re looking for all the liquid to evaporate.  It should go from looking like this:

to this…

You should end up with a thick paste that has no shine to it, which tells you all the water has evaporated.  Once the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan a bit, you know it’s getting dry. You’ll need to stir it more consistently in the last five minutes.

Tip: while the paste is cooking, you can prep the potatoes.

 

ADD THE VEGGIES

Add 3 cups of water and stir till the water is combined with the paste.

Peel and dice the potatoes into bite size pieces.
Add the peeled and chopped potatoes.

Cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

You know the potatoes are cooked when you can easily slice through a piece of potato.

After the potatoes are cooked, add the peas.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the peas have no crunch. If you are using fresh peas instead of frozen, you may only need to cook them for 10 minutes.

If the mixture becomes too thick, add some more water until the gravy is the consistency you want. Remember, to let the whole pot come to a simmer again if you add more water.  It helps all the flavors mix together.

 SERVE

Serve with chapatis or rice.  See the related recipes for similar side dishes.